Bradley Dredge set for Senior Open debut on home soil

Bradley Dredge is looking forward to beginning a new chapter in his professional career as he prepares to start life on the Legends Tour by playing on home soil at this week’s Senior Open Presented by Rolex.

The two-time DP World Tour winner turned 50 earlier in July and now takes his place in the field for the fifth and final Senior Major Championship of the year.

Europe’s only Senior Major is returning to Royal Porthcawl for a third time and Dredge tees it up alongside a host of big names, including global stars Ernie Els, Vijay Singh and Miguel Ángel Jiménez.

The Welshman has not played competitively in over a year – dating back to the Soudal Open – due to a combination of Covid-19’s impact and his own injury issues, meaning he is unsure how he will fare on his debut in the 50 and over ranks.

"Because of Covid I didn’t play an awful lot during that time.

"Last year I was going to play a few events and had a back injury so I missed the season so competitive-wise I haven’t really been playing.

"It is going to be a bit different teeing it up in a Major event, being my first one and trying to compete with the other guys."

Dredge’s two DP World Tour titles came at the Madeira Islands Open in 2003 and Omega European Masters in 2006, while he twice represented Great Britain and Ireland in the Seve Trophy, in 2005 and 2007.

Home support is unlikely to be in short supply for Dredge, who lives about 40 minutes away and has been to visit and play Royal Porthcawl in the knowledge this could be the scene of his seniors bow.

"A lot of friends and family are coming down so I am expecting some good support," he said.

“For my first event to be the Senior Open as a local lad it is great to have that support, and hopefully I can put a performance together and try to compete and be there at the end."

Despite his lack of recent tournament golf, Dredge believes the course is playing to his eye and is different prospect to when it hosted the event back in 2017.

“The good thing is unusually we have had some rain in Wales so it has softened it up a little so the grass is lush compared to normally whereas in 2017 the first few days it was really bone hard and like playing on the M4 then,” he explained.

“You had to really bunt it around a little more and know the course a little more whereas when it is a bit softer you can attack the flags a little more and that suits my style a little more.”